TW202344753A - Vacuum pump and installation for processing and/or packaging of food products - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a vacuum pump (1), having a suction (11), a discharge (9) and an interior volume intended to be traversed by gases conveyed from the suction (11) to the discharge (9) by pumping by the vacuum pump. The vacuum pump (1) comprises at least one sterilization element (15) of at least a portion (18) of the interior volume. The invention also relates to an installation for processing and/or packaging food products.

Description

Vacuum pumps and devices for the handling and/or packaging of food products

The present invention relates to vacuum technology. More specifically, it relates to vacuum pumps, and devices for the handling and/or packaging of food products.

Known for vacuum packaging of food. It is carried out in a device comprising one or more connecting lines of a vacuum chamber to one or more vacuum pumps. The function of a vacuum pump is to create and then maintain a vacuum in a vacuum chamber. In addition to packaging of food, food preparation can take place in this vacuum chamber.

The very low pressure in the vacuum chamber promotes evaporation of liquids present in the food and/or converts them into volatile aerosols. Substances from the food product can thus be sucked into the connection line to the vacuum pump, in particular in gaseous form or as aerosols. Therefore, the connection line between the vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump may gradually become contaminated with food material from the food in the vacuum chamber. There is a risk of the growth of pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria in the connection lines between the vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump, which must be absolutely avoided for health reasons.

In order to prevent the growth of pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria in the connecting lines between the vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump, it is known to regularly disconnect and clean these connecting lines, which requires maintenance intervention and sometimes also a temporary shutdown of the device .

The object of the present invention is at least to increase the hygienic safety in and/or around a device for generating a vacuum by one or more vacuum pumps.

According to the invention, this is achieved by a vacuum pump comprising a suction port, a discharge port and an internal volume through which the gas conveyed from the suction port to the discharge port is intended to pass by pumping of the vacuum pump, and further comprising a means for sterilizing the internal volume at least a portion of at least one element.

The sterilizing element may be a single sterilizing element, or it may be one of several sterilizing elements comprised by the vacuum pump. The sterilizing element may be positioned in a manner to sterilize potential foci for microbial growth and spread, or to sterilize a buffer area between an upstream area, which may be upstream of the pump suction inlet, and a downstream area, which may be the surrounding atmosphere.

If the vacuum pump according to the invention is connected to the vacuum chamber via a connecting line, the risk of contamination of the vacuum chamber by microorganisms from the vacuum pump is reduced, in particular if regular cleaning of the connecting line is not carried out until after the originally scheduled date, or is incorrectly cleaned. executed, or ignored.

Advantageously, the internal volume includes a buffer area, which can be sterilized by means of the sterilization element, this buffer area including channels for all gases transported by pumping of the vacuum pump.

The buffer zone prevents upstream contamination by microorganisms present downstream of the buffer zone. Furthermore, viruses (eg, from food in the vacuum chamber) can be destroyed in the buffer area and are therefore not expelled into the surrounding atmosphere by the discharge of the vacuum pump.

Where a buffer area is set up, disinfect the entire buffer area. However, disinfection of the entire buffer area may be limited to one or more microorganisms and/or one or more viruses. In this sense, disinfection of the entire buffer area may be only localized. It can also be comprehensive by eliminating any microorganisms and/or viruses in the buffer zone.

Advantageously, the buffer area extends to the suction inlet of the vacuum pump.

In this case, the buffer zone prevents microorganisms from contaminating the vacuum pump suction and subsequently spreading from the vacuum pump suction downstream of the vacuum pump and reaching, for example, the vacuum chamber where the food is processed and/or vacuum packed.

Advantageously, the vacuum pump comprises at least one pumping chamber where the conveyance of gas by the vacuum pump takes place, at least a part of the channel of the buffer zone being located upstream of the pumping chamber.

Advantageously, the vacuum pump includes a filter grid for the pumped gas, this grid being located upstream of the pumping chamber, and at least a part of the channel of the buffer zone being located upstream of the grid.

Advantageously, one upstream surface of the two opposite main surfaces of the grid can be disinfected by one or more disinfection elements.

Advantageously, the disinfection element is a UV light source.

One or more UV light sources generate UV light alone or in combination with one or more other lights. Advantageously, the one or more UV light sources generate UV light with a wavelength ranging from 250 nm to 280 nm. In this case, UV light is very effective at inhibiting viruses such as rotavirus and several pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. s efficiency. More advantageously, the UV light source generates UV light with a wavelength ranging from 260 nm to 270 nm. In this case, UV light is even more efficient against viruses like rotavirus, and several pathogenic bacteria including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Advantageously, the ultraviolet light source is one of several ultraviolet light sources contained in the vacuum pump and which together can illuminate the entire portion of the inner wall of the channel that defines and surrounds the buffer area. In this way, the entire wall portion can be effectively disinfected, and the buffer zone can effectively play its role as a barrier against microbial contamination between the zone upstream of the buffer zone and the zone downstream of the buffer zone.

Advantageously, the vacuum pump includes an insertion conduit forming a suction inlet of the vacuum pump, this insertion conduit being provided with a sterilizing element. In this way, any standard pump can be converted into a pump according to the invention.

Advantageously, the sterilizing element is a heating element. This heating element can perform heating (for example, of a buffer area) by radiation. The heating element may also be a ring resistor surrounding a channel defining the buffer area.

Advantageously, the vacuum pump is a lubricated pump, which includes a pumping chamber in which the conveyance of gases by the vacuum pump takes place, and in which lubricating oil is present in particular, which lubricating oil is or includes the sterilizing element.

Advantageously, the disinfecting element is or includes an antiseptic chemical substance.

The invention also has the object of a device for the processing and/or packaging of food products, the device comprising a vacuum chamber and at least one vacuum pump as defined above, the suction inlet of the vacuum pump being connected to the vacuum chamber.

In Figure 1, a vacuum pump 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention is more specifically a lubricated vane pump. It includes an upstream subassembly 2 and a pumping chamber 3 in which a rotor 4 provided with a plurality of blades 5 is rotatably installed. The motor 6 is arranged to drive the rotor 4 to rotate.

The pumping chamber 3 communicates with the housing 7, and a lubricating oil groove (not shown) is formed in the lower part of the housing 7. In the upper part of the housing 7 , an oil filter 8 is installed, which is designed to extract the oil present in the pumped gases before these gases are evacuated to, for example, the atmosphere via the discharge port 9 of the vacuum pump 1 .

When the rotor 4 rotates on its axis, the blades 5 pull the gas present in the pumping chamber 3 and expel it towards the housing 7 . This creates suction through the upstream subassembly 2 .

Here, as in the appended claims, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" and similar terms refer to the direction of flow of gas pumped by the vacuum pump 1 .

The upstream subassembly 2 includes an assembly of several continuous parts 10a and 10b forming the conduit 10, the upstream end of which is the suction inlet 11 of the vacuum pump 1. The downstream end of the conduit 10 is in communication with the pumping chamber 3 . A grid 12 for filtering the suction gas entering through the suction port 11 is installed in the duct 10 . A non-return valve 13 is installed in the duct 10 downstream of the grid 12 .

The upstream subassembly 2 is placed upstream of the pumping chamber 3 . In a particular embodiment of the invention, the upstream subassembly 2 is placed directly upstream of the pumping chamber 3 .

The chamber 10a is provided with a plurality of sterilization elements, and each sterilization element is an ultraviolet light source 15 . For example, each UV light source 15 may be an LED. The UV light source 15 is arranged and directed to illuminate together the entire inner wall 16 of the chamber 10a, and the upstream surface 17 of the grid 12. The ultraviolet beam emitted by the ultraviolet light source 15 is marked by arrow F in FIG. 1 .

The area bounded by the chamber 10a is the buffer area 18 and the UV light emitted by the UV light source 15 sterilizes it in its entirety by destroying any microorganisms present and any viruses present. The buffer area 18 forms a channel through which all gases pumped by the vacuum pump 1 flow. The buffer zone is therefore the intermediate zone between the upstream zone and the downstream zone along the path of the gas delivered by the vacuum pump 1 . The buffer area 18 is located upstream of the pumping chamber 3 and the grid 12 and extends to the suction inlet 11 .

In Figure 2, the installation according to the invention is a device for the processing and/or packaging of food products. It includes a vacuum chamber 50 , a vacuum pump 1 , and a connecting conduit 51 connecting the opening of the vacuum chamber 50 to the suction inlet 11 of the vacuum pump 1 . In the vacuum chamber 50, the food is vacuum packed. In the vacuum chamber 50, food products can also be processed and, if necessary, subsequently vacuum packed.

In the case of the processing and/or packaging apparatus shown in FIG. 2 , any contamination (eg from bacteria) upstream of the buffer area 18 cannot pass through this buffer area 18 to reach the suction inlet 11 and reach connections such as the vacuum chamber 50 The connection line 51 to the vacuum pump 1. In this case, the buffer area 18 thus prevents contamination of the vacuum chamber 50 from the vacuum pump 1 by pathogenic microorganisms.

Furthermore, if, for example, viruses from the food in the vacuum chamber 50 are carried to the vacuum pump 1 by the inhaled gas, these viruses are destroyed in the buffer area 18 and are therefore not discharged via the discharge opening 9 into the surrounding atmosphere.

If food material from the vacuum chamber 50 remains on the grid 12 after being blocked by the grid 12 , it receives UV radiation from at least some UV light sources 15 . This food material on the grid 12 is thus sterilized and cannot become a breeding ground for microorganisms and contamination of other areas such as the connecting duct 51 and the vacuum chamber 50 with such microorganisms.

An upstream subassembly 102 of a vacuum pump according to a second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 3. In the following, only the differences between the vacuum pump according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the vacuum pump 1 will be described. Furthermore, when the marked part of the vacuum pump according to the second embodiment of the present invention is the same or equal to the marked part of the vacuum pump 1 , its mark is constructed by adding 100 to the mark indicating this marked part on the vacuum pump 1 . In this way, the markings of the grid 112 and the check valve 113 are particularly established.

In addition to portions 110a and 110b, the duct 110 of the upstream subassembly 102 includes an insertion conduit 120 disposed with a UV light source 115. The insertion catheter 120 includes the suction port 111 of the vacuum pump according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated example, no UV light source is provided on portion 110a. In this case, the insertion catheter 120 may be installed on a vacuum pump that initially does not have the UV light source 115 and thus provide the vacuum pump with the UV light source 115 and the buffer area 118 .

Buffer area 118 includes a channel bounded by insertion catheter 120 and extending to suction port 111 . The inner wall 121 of the insertion catheter 120 is fully illuminated by the ultraviolet light source 115 . The entire buffer area 118 including this inner wall 121 is thus sterilized by UV radiation. Any contamination from microorganisms upstream of the buffer area 118 cannot reach the suction inlet 111 through the buffer area 118 and cannot reach the vacuum chamber when the vacuum chamber is connected to the suction inlet 111 .

An upstream subassembly 202 of a vacuum pump according to a third embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 4. In the following, only the differences between the vacuum pump according to the third embodiment of the present invention and the vacuum pump 1 will be described. Furthermore, when the marked part of the vacuum pump according to the third embodiment of the present invention is the same or equivalent to the marked part of the vacuum pump 1 , its mark is constructed by adding 200 to the mark indicating this marked part on the vacuum pump 1 .

Like part 10a, duct part 210a is provided with sterilizing elements. Instead of the UV light source 15 , each of these disinfection elements is a heating element 215 . The heating element 215 is capable of radiatively heating the inner wall 216 of the portion 210a and the upstream surface 217 of the grid 212 to a temperature at which at least certain microorganisms are destroyed. For example, this temperature can be greater than about 50°C. It is preferably above about 70°C, and even more preferably above about 120°C. The entire buffer area 218 including the inner wall 216 and the upstream surface 217 is thus disinfected up to the suction inlet 211 . The radiation emitted by the heating element 215 is marked by arrow R in FIG. 4 .

A vacuum pump 301 according to a fourth embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 5. In the following, only the differences between the vacuum pump 301 and the vacuum pump 1 will be described. In addition, when the marked portion of the vacuum pump 301 is the same as or equal to the marked portion of the vacuum pump 1, the mark is formed by adding 300 to the mark indicating this marked portion on the vacuum pump 1. For example, the mark of the discharge port 309 of the vacuum pump 301 is formed in this manner.

As in the first embodiment of the invention, the lower part of the housing 307 forms a groove 330 , which is a lubricating oil groove and which serves to recover and store oil for the vacuum pump 301 in a manner known per se in lubricating vane pumps. Lubricating oil 331 for the blades (not shown). Again as in the first embodiment, the upper portion of the housing 307 contains an oil filter 308 arranged to extract the lubrication present in the gases after they are forced through the vanes (not shown) into the pumping chamber (not shown) Oil 331. The lubricating oil 331 drawn through the oil filter 308 flows to the tank 330 by gravity.

Lubricating oil 331 contains disinfecting elements, which are antiseptic chemicals capable of killing one or more microorganisms and/or one or more viruses. For example, the antiseptic chemical can be p-chloro-m-cresol (PCMC), or any other chemical that can be used as a biocide, such as o-phenylphenol (PCMC). o-phenylphenol (OPP), iodopropynylbutyl-carbamate (IPBC), benzisothiazolinone (BIT), or bronopol. In a variant, the lubricating oil 331 itself may be a sterilizing element by composition. The lubricating oil 331 sterilizes the area of the buffer area 318 including the pumping chamber and the filter cartridge 332 including the oil filter 308 . Any viruses that may be extracted by the vacuum pump 301 are destroyed in the buffer area 318 and therefore are not released into the surrounding atmosphere via the exhaust port 309 .

The vacuum pump 301 may include UV light sources as in the first embodiment of the invention, in which case these UV light sources may be as in the UV light source 15 in the first embodiment, or as in the second embodiment of the invention. The UV light source 115 in the example is generally arranged and oriented. The vacuum pump 301 may also include a heating element, which may be arranged and oriented generally like the heating element 215 in the third embodiment of the invention. The vacuum pump may also not include a UV light source or heating element.

In the not-shown vacuum pump according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the ultraviolet light source may be provided in a housing having the same function as the housing 307 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this case, these UV light sources can be arranged in the lower part of the housing, in such a way that they can illuminate the lubricating oil and the oil sump, or they can be arranged in the upper part of the housing, for example, replacing the ones in several oil filter cartridges One.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. In particular, although the vacuum pump in these embodiments is a lubricated vane pump, the invention is not limited to lubricated vane pumps. In fact, any type of vacuum pump, lubricated or non-lubricated, can be used according to the invention. In particular, the vacuum pump according to the present invention may be selected from the group consisting of vane pumps, screw pumps, gear pumps, ejector pumps and lobe pumps.

1: Vacuum pump 2: Upstream sub-component 3:Pumping room 4:Rotor 5: Blades 6: Motor 7: Shell 8: Oil filter 9: Discharge port 10:Catheter 10a: Part (chamber) (part) 10b: Parts 11:Suction port 12:Grid 13: Check valve 15:UV light source 16:Inner wall 17: Upstream surface 18: Buffer area 50:Vacuum chamber 51: Connect conduit (line) 102: Upstream secondary component 110:Pipeline 110a: Section 110b: Part 111:Suction port 112:Grid 113: Check valve 115:UV light source 118: Buffer area 120:Insert catheter 121:Inner wall 202: Upstream subcomponent 210:Pipeline 210a: (Piping) Section 211:Suction port 212:Grid 215:Heating element 216:Inner wall 217:Upstream surface 218: Buffer area 301: Vacuum pump 307: Shell 308:Oil filter 309: Discharge port 330:Slot 331: Lubricating oil 332:Filter cartridge F: arrow R: arrow

Further advantages and features will become clearer from the following description of several specific embodiments of the invention, given as non-limiting examples and shown in the accompanying drawings, including: [Fig. 1] is a pull-out perspective view of the vacuum pump according to the first embodiment of the present invention, [Fig. 2] is a schematic diagram of a facility consistent with the present invention, and more particularly an apparatus for the processing and/or packaging of food products, [Fig. 3] is a perspective cross-sectional view of an upstream subassembly of a vacuum pump according to a second embodiment of the present invention, [Fig. 4] is a perspective cross-sectional view of an upstream subassembly of a vacuum pump according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and [Fig. 5] is a perspective cross-sectional view of a vacuum pump according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

1: Vacuum pump

2: Upstream sub-component

3:Pumping room

4:Rotor

5: Blades

6: Motor

7: Shell

8: Oil filter

9: Discharge port

10:Catheter

10a: Part (chamber) (part)

10b: Parts

11:Suction port

12:Grid

13: Check valve

15:UV light source

16:Inner wall

17: Upstream surface

18: Buffer area

F: arrow

Claims (14)

A vacuum pump includes a suction port (11, 111, 211), a discharge port (9, 309), and is transported from the suction port (11, 111, 211) to the discharge port (9, 309) by pumping of the vacuum pump ) the internal volume through which the gas flows, Characterized in that the vacuum pump includes at least one sterilization element (15, 115, 215, 331) of at least a portion (18, 118, 218, 318) of the internal volume. The vacuum pump of claim 1, wherein the sterilization element (15, 115, 215, 331) is one of a plurality of sterilization elements (15, 115, 215, 331) included in the vacuum pump. The vacuum pump of claim 1 or 2, wherein the internal volume includes a buffer area (18, 118, 218, 318) that can be sterilized by the sterilization element (15, 115, 215, 331), and the buffer area ( 18, 118, 218, 318) include passages for all gases transported by pumping of the vacuum pump. The vacuum pump of claim 3, wherein the buffer area (18, 118, 218) extends to the suction inlet (11, 111, 211) of the vacuum pump. The vacuum pump of claim 3, wherein the vacuum pump includes at least one pumping chamber (3) where the delivery of gas by the vacuum pump occurs, at least a part of the channel of the buffer area (18, 118, 218) Located upstream of the pumping chamber (3). The vacuum pump of claim 3, wherein the vacuum pump includes a grid (12, 112) for filtering the pumped gas, the grid (12, 112) is located upstream of the pumping chamber (3), the At least a portion of the channel of the buffer area (18, 118, 218) is located upstream of the grid (12, 112). The vacuum pump of claim 6, wherein one upstream surface (17, 217) of two opposite main surfaces of the grid (12, 112) can be sterilized by the sterilization element (15, 215). The vacuum pump of claim 1, wherein the vacuum pump includes an insertion conduit (120) forming the suction inlet (111) of the vacuum pump, and the insertion conduit (120) is provided with at least one sterilization element (115). The vacuum pump of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sterilization elements is an ultraviolet light source (15, 115). The vacuum pump of claim 9, wherein the ultraviolet light source is one of several ultraviolet light sources (15, 115), the plurality of ultraviolet light sources are included in the vacuum pump, and they can illuminate together to define and surround the buffer area The entire portion of the inner wall (16, 17, 121) of the channel (18, 118). The vacuum pump of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sterilizing elements is a heating element (215). The vacuum pump of claim 1, wherein the vacuum pump is a lubricating pump, which includes a pumping chamber where the transportation of gas by the vacuum pump occurs, and lubricating oil (331) particularly exists in the pumping chamber, the The lubricating oil (331) is or includes at least one of the sterilizing elements. The vacuum pump of claim 12, wherein the sterilizing element is an antiseptic chemical substance or includes an antiseptic chemical substance. A device for food processing and/or packaging, including a vacuum chamber (50), characterized in that the device includes at least one vacuum pump (1, 301) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, the vacuum pump The suction port (11, 111, 211) of (1, 301) is connected to the vacuum chamber (50).

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